buskin

noun:
1. A thick-soled laced boot, reaching to the knee or calf, worn by actors
of ancient Greek tragedies. Also known as cothurnus.
2. A tragic drama.

ETYMOLOGY:

Perhaps from Middle French brousequin.

NOTES:

A thick-soled boot was a distinctive feature of a tragic actor in
ancient Greece. It elevated him and raised his stature. Because those
big shoes were often worn by tragedians, we came to refer to a tragedy
itself as a buskin. A counterpart of buskin is sock (a comedy) after
soccus, a lightweight low shoe worn by comic actors.